Prince, the prolific singer and musician known for a love of the color purple, numerous hits including “Little Red Corvette” and forays into film, is dead.
Prince’s publicist confirmed the news Thursday after TMZ broke the story.
“It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died,” publicist Anna Meacham said.
His body was found at his Paisley Park Studios, located in Chanhassen, Minnesota, the Carver County Sheriff’s Office tweeted.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said that deputies arrived around 9:43 a.m. Thursday, in response to a call, and that Prince was prounounced dead at 10:07 a.m.
Cause of death is not yet known.
Born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Prince released his first album, “For You,” in 1978. The multi-instrumentalist blended funk, rock, pop and soul, building upon the work of performers including George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, and Rick James. His unique sound and flamboyant style – performing in tiny undies and heels, for instance – earned him comparisons to such greats as Little Richard as well as seven Grammy Awards.
While forging his own career, Prince also helped launch bands including the Time, a side project featuring singer Morris Day and a hit in the song “Jungle Love.” But it was Prince who owned much of the early- and mid-1980s, with songs that featured his creative guitarwork, use of drum machines and a rotating cast of bandmates, including those of The Revolution.
His hits were many. “When Doves Cry,” “Kiss,” “Let’s Go Crazy” – and let’s not forget “Batdance” – were just a handful to crack the Billboard Hot 100s Top 10, according to billboard.com. And the ultimate Prince mixtape should also include “Purple Rain” (No. 2), “Pop Life” (7), “Raspberry Beret” (2), “Cream” (2), “I Would Die 4 U” (8), “1999” (12) and “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (11).
The 27th annual Grammys in 1984 saw him nab his first wins, including for “Purple Rain,” his soundtrack to the film of the same name in which he played lead character, The Kid, opposite protege Apollonia.
In all, Prince put out 39 solo studio albums – including those under the symbol, a combination of the signs for “male” and “female,” that he adopted in place of his name in the 1990s. A disptute with his label, Warner Brothers, saw the singer stamp records such as “The Gold Experience” with the symbol, prompting many to begin referring to him as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince.
The descriptive prolific bears repeating. In addition to his own solo work, Prince was a songwriter whose works begat huge hits for others, including Sinead O’Connor’s version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” and The Bangles’ “Manic Monday.”
Prince’s latest album, “HITNRUN Phase Two,” was released in December. He last played New York City – at an invitation-only show at the Meatpacking District’s Avenue – in March, the New York Times reported.
Reuters contributed to this report.
